University of Jyväskylä Department of Sport Sciences Master’s Thesis
Social Sciences of Sport 2016
Hanna Olkinuora
Finnish female coaches’ career development and perceptions – A case study of six Finnish female coaches
Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences OLKINUORA HANNA
Finnish female coaches’ career development and perceptions – A case study of six Finnish female coaches
ABSTRACT
Master’s thesis, 106 pages (+ Appendices, 4 pages) Social Sciences of Sport
Autumn 2016
--- Women are often seen as needing to be good at everything and sometimes even better.
The numbers of women and girls participating in sport are growing rapidly. However, the same pattern cannot be observed in the leadership positions within sport, which includes coaches. Although the field of female leadership within sport organizations has been researched, what factors influence female coaches’ career paths and the reasons behind the underrepresentation is still under researched in Finland.
The purpose of this research is to describe the career paths and perceptions of the Finnish female coaches, who coach or have coached at a highest level of their sport in Finland. A qualitative study was conducted to describe the factors influencing the career paths of six Finnish female coaches from both team as well as individual sport. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews after which the interviews were transcribed verbatim. This was followed by the analysis of the date by both reading the transcripts and using ATLAS.ti software to find reoccurring themes.
Based on the analysis of the data, Finnish female coaches’ careers are very versatile and individual, and are characterised by a vast number of features. Female coach’s careers have both traditional and modern elements. The beginning is usually an accidental one, followed by coaching as a hobby. Female coaches move fast from coaching as a hobby to professional coaching or serious leisure. Coaches who progress at a more moderate pace have more control over the advancement of their careers. Becoming qualified for coaching happens through various different ways, which shows the individuality of a coaching career. Getting hired for coaching positions, both voluntary and full-time, happen mostly through networks. Career success is defined both through traditional perceptions of success, as well as modern perceptions. Coaches are faced with a various number of challenges during their careers, including the expectations of society for coaches to be male and the difficulty of balancing work and private life. To be able deal with these challenges, a support network of family, friends, colleagues and mentors are essential. Coaching is a life-long career due to the high level of commitment that coaches have toward their own sport. The factors influencing the development of a female coaches’ career highlighted in this study can be used to provide information to help further women’s coaching development initiatives in Finland. This research was completed in co-operation with the Women Taking Responsibility in Coaching – initiative.
Key words: female coach, sport culture, career development, coaching path
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 2
1 INTRODUCTION 4
1.1 I am a Finnish female coach 5
1.2 Women Taking Responsibility in Coaching 6
1.3 Research questions 7
1.4 Structure of the thesis 7
2 WOMEN AND SPORT IN FINLAND 9
2.1 Women’s roles and position in the Finnish society 9
2.2 Finnish sport culture and organization 12
3 METHODS 19
3.1 The phenomenological research approach 19
3.2 Interview methodology and procedure 20
3.2.1 Interview procedure and timeline 23
3.2.2 Interviewees 24
3.3 Data analysis 25
3.4 Reliability and validity 26
4 FINNISH FEMALE COACHES’ CAREERS 28
4.1 Definitions of a career 28
4.2 The accidental beginning 30
4.3 Coaching as a hobby 33
4.4 From hobby to profession 36
4.5 Becoming qualified 39
4.5.1 Getting educated 42
4.5.2 Educational experiences as an athlete 46
4.5.3 Thresholds to becoming qualified 49
4.5.4 Getting hired 53
4.6 The career rat race 61
4.6.1 Career success 71
4.6.2 Coaching is a team sport 78
4.7 The future of Finnish female coaches’ careers 85
5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 91
5.1 Finnish female coaches’ careers are a mix of the modern and traditional 91 5.2 The possibilities and challenges within Finnish female coaches’ careers 95 5.3 Self-criticism and suggestions for future research 98
REFERENCES 101
APPENDICES 107
Appendix 1. Interviewee recruitment E-mail 107
Appendix 2. Interview framework 108
Appendix 3. Consent form 110
The proportion of women in leadership positions within sport organizations do not reflect on the proportion of women taking part in sport and physical activity. (Aalto- Nevalainen 2011, 50.) The numbers of female participants are increasing, even in sports that are traditionally more male dominated. This increase can however not be seen in the numbers of female leaders in sport, including coaches. Sport culture is based on a masculine worldview, which women have to identify with, in order to succeed. The more prestigious, the higher in the hierarchy and the closer the position is to competitive sport, the smaller the proportion of women is. (Aalto 2003, 150.) The higher the level (international) of the male or female athlete, it is more likely that he or she will have a male coach it seems. The statistics of the gender of coaches does not seem to be given high priority in many countries, which could indicate that this is seen as unimportant.
(Fasting & Pfister 2000, 93.) It seems as though many nations do not recognize this issue. Although women play for example football, there is very little debate about who should make the decisions in football. As long as competition is central and associated with men, women will struggle as coaches because of perceptions of leadership characteristics being more masculine. (Skille 2014, 397-399.) There are expectations in the social environment of sport that a coach is male.
There has been little research conducted into female leadership in sport and even less into female coaches careers specifically. The careers of Finnish female coaches have not been the subject of any study specifically in Finland. Research has been conducted into to the careers of Finnish female sport leaders (see Aalto 2003) and the careers of coaches, both professional and voluntary (see Käärmeniemi 2012 and Blomqvist &
Hämäläinen 2013). Female coaches careers have been researched in other nations such as Australia, North America, Germany, Norway and the UK (see Norman 2012, Auld, Cuskelly, Greenhill, & Hooper 2009, Schlesinger & Weigelt-Schlesinger 2012 and Sisjord, Fasting & Sand 2016). Out of these nations, Norway can be said to have the most similar sport culture to Finland, being a fellow well-fare state.
The role of the male coaches is often based on historical development instead of formal education or the personality. Women’s careers have become masculine, but it is limited
by having children and may explain increase in gender differences of participation after the age of 20. Incentives have been developed to facilitate gender equity in the welfare state. (Skille 2014, 389-392.) Sport culture guides the development of a coach’s career, which is why it is important to gather more information about female coaches careers in a specific sport culture. In order for development to occur, it is essential to understand the meaning of current procedures (Laine 2015, 32). Gathering more information about the career paths of Finnish female coaches will help policy makers and national sport organizations (NGO’s) develop strategies to increase the numbers of female coaches.
1.1 I am a Finnish female coach
One of the main reasons for choosing this research topic is because I myself am a Finnish female coach. Sport has always been a very big part of my life. I cannot remember a time when I would not have had some sport as a hobby. I think because of this, it eventually seemed unnatural to do something other than sport for a living. At first I was more focused on becoming a professional athlete and was somewhat crushed to find out that there are only a few female professionals in the sport that is closest to my heart; ice hockey. The challenges that I faced as a player and the discrimination and sexism that I have unfortunately also had to experience have definitely influenced my interest in the topic of women in sport.
After choosing to complete a Bachelor’s degree in sports and leisure management, I have been able to gain experience as a coach as well as a sport administrator. One of the things that struck me the most when working as a regional girls’ hockey instructor, a coach and the development coordinator of girls’ and junior’s hockey in Heinola ice hockey club, was the lack of female coaches. Clubs in the region often expressed the need for coaches both female and male, but yet I could never see any directed efforts from the clubs to recruit coaches. The club in Heinola did very little recruiting and mostly relied on potential coaches to contact the club or recruited coaches from the parents of players to coach the teams. The only obvious attempts to recruit external coaches for many clubs was to send emails to potential coaches or promote the availability of coaching positions through networks.
After looking at previous research conducted on this topic and attending seminars in 2014 on women’s coaching careers, I realised that the topic of female coaches careers is current. I also felt that it suited my values as well as the methods that were best suited for me, when conducting my master’s thesis research. This research topic was finally settled upon as a result of my participation in the Women Taking Responsibility in Coaching-project (referred to later in this thesis as WTRC).
1.2 Women Taking Responsibility in Coaching
This thesis has been completed in co-operation with the WTRC –project. The project started/was launched in 2013 and is scheduled to last until 2018. The project was originally initiated by the national rink ball and ringette associations together with the Finnish Coaches Association, after the IWG world conference held in Helsinki in the summer of 2014 named coaching as one of its main themes. Since the beginning of the project many more national sport associations have joined. The sport associations involved in the project include football, handball, ringette, floorball, ice hockey, American football, Finnish baseball, basketball, volleyball, the Finnish Coaches association and the Finnish Sport association for Persons with Disabilities. The aim of the project is to increase the numbers of female coaches and operators in sport. The project is a co-operation between the International Working-group on Women and Sport (IWG), the ministry of education and culture and the Finnish professional coaches’
association (SAVAL). (Suomen Valmentajat 2016a.) The main goals of the project are:
1. To increase the willingness of former athletes to continue their career in sport as coaches, through which the number of female coaches in team sport can be increased.
2. Increase the willingness of former athletes to continue their sport career in positions within sport clubs and national associations.
3. Support current female coaches in their careers.
4. To improve the capability of women transitioning into coaching, through mentoring programs.
5. Identifying the unique characteristics of female coaches and other features involved in women’s activities within sport, utilize information provided by research as well as gather more research on the phenomenon. (Suomen Valmentajat 2016a.)
This research and its topic were developed and began from my own initiation, but are in accordance with the fifth goal of the project. The co-operation with the project involved being able to recruit participants through the projects networks (see subchapter 3.2.1).
1.3 Research questions
This Master’s Thesis is a qualitative research dealing with the career characteristics of six Finnish female coaches. The underlying purpose of this thesis is to describe the career development and perceptions of Finnish female coaches’ careers, in order to be able to better design initiatives and develop the Finnish coaching system, toward being more inviting to women. The aim of the thesis is to describe the different characteristics illustrating a Finnish female coaches career and its development. This general research aim is divided into the following research questions to be investigated:
1. What phases and characteristics do generally typify a Finnish female coaches career?
a. How do voluntary or professional coaching careers compare to the definitions of traditional and modern careers?
b. How do coaches become qualified?
c. How do coaches perceive career success?
d. What are the perceived challenges or barriers during a coaches’ career?
e. How do coaches handle the successes, challenges and barriers?
f. How do coaches perceive the future of their coaching careers?
In order to answer these questions I have explored the unique context presented by the position of women in Finnish culture, specifically in sport. I have compared my findings to the unique context as well as existing models of coaches’ career development and traditional and modern definitions of a career.
1.4 Structure of the thesis
The second chapter of this thesis looks at the unique Finnish context influencing Finnish female coaches’ careers. This includes both the role of women in the Finnish society in general, as well as in the Finnish sport culture in particular, and its unique
influence on coaching careers. Chapter three concentrates on the research methods applied to conduct this research. This is presented through the phenomenological research approach chosen, interviews as data collection method including the timeline of the data collection and the interviewees selected for this thesis, the data analysis process as well as the reliability and validity of this research.
The fourth chapter of this thesis concentrates on the theoretical issues surrounding the different phases of female coaches’ careers and a discussion on the contents of the interviews. The discussion of chapter four deals with the traditional and modern definitions of careers, the beginning and early years of a coaches’ career, coaching as a hobby and coaching as a profession as well as how coaches become qualified and are able to attain coaching positions. The chapter also discusses how coaches perceive career success, the challenges coaches are faced with during the career rat race and how they are able to cope with them as well as how coaches perceive their futures as coaches.
Finally, chapter five summarizes the main results of this thesis and compares these to the traditional and modern definitions of careers. This chapter discusses the possibilities and challenges within a female coaches’ career, offers developmental suggestions based on two models of a coaches’ career development and finally critically discusses the entire thesis process as well as suggests areas for further research. The perspective of a Finnish female coach is carried along and referred to throughout the different chapters of this thesis.
2 WOMEN AND SPORT IN FINLAND
In order to understand the career development and perceptions of Finnish female coaches, it is important understand the unique cultural context of Finnish society and sport culture that influences it. This chapter will begin by describing women’s roles and position within Finnish society and then move to describing the unique features of Finnish sport culture and how Finnish sport is organized. The second part of this chapter will finally look at what the position of women is in Finnish sport culture and how this has developed. Throughout the chapter I will also describe how these unique cultural aspects influence a coach and her career.
2.1 Women’s roles and position in the Finnish society
Besides considering the context of Finnish sport culture, it is important to understand what the role of women within Finnish society and sport is. The position of women in the Finnish society is very strong compared to many other countries. Gender equality is a core value in Finnish society (Säilävaara 2016). Finland was more than a decade ahead of the developed nations with their powerful suffragette movements. Finnish women were given the right to vote and eligibility for office in 1906. Finnish women were the first in Europe to receive voting rights and the first in the world to be able to participate as candidates in parliamentary elections. (Sulkunen 1990, 42.)
Discrimination based on gender is generally frowned upon in Finnish society and has been a hot topic in the media, due to equality being a crucial part of the Finnish welfare state model (Socrates Grundtvig 2006). The media covers lawsuits based on gender discrimination very well. Discussions about military or civil service only being obligatory for men also rise frequently when the military is in the news. A post about companies not allowing an applicant to apply for a position based on gender in the social media, because “women have usually not been selected for this position” (Vesa 2015) quickly became national news in 2015.
Finnish women and their rights in society and in the working place as well as in sport have been very well covered by legislation. Discrimination based on gender is illegal in
Finland. Legislation on equality between men and women also states that employers are also to some extent responsible for changing the working environment so that it caters to both genders as well as actively furthering equality with goal-directed planning. (Laki naisten ja miesten välisestä tasa-arvosta 609/8.8.1986.) Amendments to the Equality Act have included prohibition of discrimination based on grounds of pregnancy and family care responsibilities (Laki naisten ja miesten välisestä tasa-arvosta annetun lain muuttamisesta 624/8.7.1992), obligating companies with over 30 employees to include measures to promote equality in annual staff and training programmes or in labour protection programmes and including a quota system in official committees and councils, where the proportion of either sex should not be below 40 per cent (Laki naisten ja miesten välisestä tasa-arvosta annetun lain muuttamisesta 206/17.2.1995).
The Ombudsman of Equality monitors, particularly the prohibition on discrimination and discriminatory job and training advertising, the Equality Act. The Ombudsman handles around 200 cases annually, of which 70 per cent are brought forward by women. (Socrates Grundtvig 2006) Legislative measures still do not prevent discrimination from occurring in working life in Finland especially in certain fields of work. Sport clubs, who employ most coaches, are usually very small organizations in terms of number of staff, which means that they are not required by law to include measures to promote equality in annual staff and training programmes.
Equality has also recently been given a larger role in the sport legislation in Finland.
Sport and physical activity has been established as being a basic right. Updates in the legislation also include equality and tolerance as one of the criteria for sport organizations and clubs being granted funding. (Liikuntalaki 390/10.4.2015) The original legislation already included equality as one of its starting points. It defined sport as a mean to be used as a way to further equality and tolerance as well as support the manifoldness of cultures and sustainable development of the environment.
(Liikuntalaki 1054/18.12.1998) It still seems as though these measures are not enough to further equality between men and women within sport organizations. Sport is seen as a basic right in Finland but involvement in different areas of sport is not equal between genders. Although women participate in sport more than men do, women are underrepresented in the decision-making bodies in sport organizations.
Women are involved in working life just as men are, although most of the domestic work as well as childcare fall on their shoulders. The traditional male-breadwinner model has never been prevalent in Finland. In agricultural society men and women worked side by side. It was therefore only natural, when entering the industrial age when urbanization began that women were also included in the labour market. Finland has a very high rate of full-time employment for both men and women. Women’s choices regarding employment are however, often between full-time work and full-time childcare, especially in the lower social classes of society. (Sihto 2016.) This does not mean that all fields of work are equally accessible for both genders. Some fields of work such as social work and health care are more female dominated whilst others such as engineering are more male dominated. Women have however, began to increase their share in previously male dominated areas of work and study (Vuorinen-Lampila 2016).
Although women in Finland tend to have completed a higher level of educational degree than men in Finland have, women in Finland do not have equal pay. Men are still more likely to get adequate work after graduation than women are. This has resulted in more men being in full-time employment than women, three years after graduation. Women are more likely to continue their studies (PhD.) or take maternity leave. These can be interpreted as being measures to deal with the difficult employment situation.
Temporary work contracts are particularly common among women of childbearing age (25-34 years). Men are more likely to get full-time work after graduation, to be in permanent employment and to occupy management positions. There are far fewer women in leadership positions than there are men. Female leaders also become less frequent the higher up the organizations ladder you proceed. (Aalto-Nevalainen 2009;
Vuorinen-Lampila 2016; Sihto 2016.) Although sport studies is one of the more equal fields of study in terms of the numbers of male and female students, this does not translate into working life. A coach, especially at the professional level, can be said to occupy a leadership position. That is why it is not surprising that only approximately a quarter of coaches in Finland are women and women are still a rarity amongst professional coaches (Saarinen 2016). It seems somewhat contradictory that women are more educated but men still dominate the labour market. This is due to the gender and family roles present in Finnish society. Women are seen as natural carers more often and are encouraged to stay at home with children under the age of three years, although
this is seen as being problematic for the national economy and women’s working careers (Sihto 2016).
The policies and legislation mentioned can help further women’s careers in many fields.
The question is however, do these policies and rules also make it even more difficult for women to advance in their careers as they create more invisible barriers. In sport as well as in management the phrase “glass ceiling” is used very often. The glass ceiling refers to an invisible barrier for women to advance in their careers or to even enter certain positions. It being illegal to discriminate based on gender does not mean that it does not happen. Companies may simply not express this to employees or applicants anymore.
Now that the new Sport Act has come to effect the progress of including equality and tolerance in a sport organizations’ initiatives, as well as long term planning and strategy being required in order to secure funding, need to be very well monitored by appropriate authorities to ensure that plans are also being applied into practise and not only written in official documentation.
2.2 Finnish sport culture and organization
Sport and physical activity culture in Finland is very distinctive (Itkonen 2012, 11). The organization of sport, the norms guiding people’s behaviour, habits etc. differ at least to some extent to other countries. For example, Finland has a long history in civic activities, which is still thriving as voluntary sport clubs organize most sport and physical activities in Finland. This is why the third sector is considered to be the most important sector for sport and physical activity in Finland and is still flourishing. Sport clubs as well as civic activities have however, undergone a transformation and many clubs and organizations now base their activities on very different values, which create challenges for policy makers and sport and physical activity organizations.
Differentiation has changed the roles of the three sectors that organize and influence sport. The roles and tasks remain unstable, which requires flexibility from the sport clubs, municipalities and companies. The social significance of sport is under discussion due to the tight financial situation in the public sector. (Itkonen &
Salmikangas 2015.) Even though Finnish sport culture has changed, it is still very distinctive. The thriving third sector is just one factor, which makes Finnish sport and physical activity culture so distinctive. Taking part in sport and physical activities is
considered to be almost a basic right in Finland and this is why it is often a big part of Finnish people’s lives.
Sport is a relatively new phenomenon in the way we know it today. In Finland, like in many other countries, the development of society influences the development of sport and physical activity. (Koski 2012.) Changes in working life, technological advances, development in equality, changes in fiscal markets etc. all influence sport culture and its development. The need for fitness activities in sport clubs only arose because of the changes in society (e.g. urbanization and industrialization ). (Itkonen 2002, 43-44.) Changes that have occurred can be seen in many ways in today’s sport organizations.
Sport used to be a way to induce especially the young to further the organizations general goals (Itkonen 2012, 38). Today there are two main types of clubs; socio- culturally oriented and sport and performance oriented clubs (Itkonen 2002, 45-46). The values and norms, which guide activities, have changed and now there are many different reasons behind organizing sport. Performance oriented clubs, where most professional coaches are employed, are more concerned with developing athletes and their performance, and therefore winning is extremely important. Socio-culturally oriented clubs are more motivated to provide services to improve the e.g. the social well being of people. National Sport Organizations (NSO’s) are mostly responsible for developing the sport culture of their specific sport (Koski & Heikkala 1998, 16).
Finland has a very strong culture in civic activity as well as sport governance as a part of the public sectors services (Itkonen 2012, 12). The majority of sport clubs, which are the main provider of sport services, organize their activities with the help of volunteers.
In sport clubs, things are learned through practical application and existing operational models are rarely questioned. The guarantee for future success is to secure future resources. Club activities have emphasised children and youth involvement, which also take part in the organization of activities. (Itkonen 2002, 43-50; Itkonen 2015, 53.) Sport clubs are also the main employer of professional coaches (Käärmeniemi 2012, 9) as well as voluntary coaches. Without volunteers most clubs would not be able to function or even exist. Volunteering happens at all levels of club activity, from voluntary participation of children and youth to the governance of the club by active parents or adults. The number of hired staff has increased, both full- and part-time, as well as the number of volunteers (Koski 2012, 266-267). However, most clubs feel that
they are suffering from a shortage of personnel, both voluntary and paid, at the management and team level (Szerovay 2015, 123). This perception puts pressure on clubs to recruit more coaches.
Although volunteering is essential in Finnish sport, the environment and facilities that are needed to maintain the “sport for all” mentality, club activities and ensure the health and wellbeing of Finnish people would not be possible without the public sector (Ilmanen 1996, 238). Sport clubs organize most of the activities, whilst municipalities are in a detrimental role when it comes to building, developing and maintaining sport facilities. Most sport facilities are publicly owned, which in itself reduces the cost of sport participation and the production cost of activities produced by the clubs. Some municipalities also subsidise clubs directly. The economic differences between municipalities have created a discrepancy in physical culture (Itkonen 2002, 41).
Municipalities have very different levels of funds available for sport and physical activity and as they are able to independently decide how much funding to allocate to sport and physical activity, the values and opinions of politicians influence these decisions. Even if this system creates differences it is very likely that it will remain the
“backbone in the creation of sport services” (Ilmanen 1996, 238).
Finnish sport culture is going through sizeable changes. The Finnish sport system is moving from amateurism towards professionalism. Professionalism is not only evident in athletes themselves but also the organization of sport is becoming more professional.
Sport associations as well as clubs are becoming more professional and this is evident through, for example the number of staff present, which includes coaches. The higher level of demand and wider distribution of work has increased the need for voluntary workers in sport clubs. Actions are still being guided more by the needs of the grass root level than professional sport. The work for the foundation for Finnish professional sport is being done in voluntary sport clubs. The number of clubs that aim at national success has decreased. The demands of elite level sport have increased, which has resulted in clubs focusing more on youth sport, due to their resources already being stretched to the limit. Through the rationalization of the public sector the expectations for the third sector and civic activities are to be more and more effective. This has placed a higher demand on volume and quality of services, which in turn creates challenges with human resource management, commitment levels of staff and voluntary
potential. (Koski 2012.) Sport itself has not necessarily become more competitive and professional overall, but the organization of it has, due to the pressures placed on clubs by differentiation and the multiplicity of sport disciplines. Although Finnish sport culture is still rooted in volunteerism and “sport for all” –mentality, as sport organizations become more and more business-like, change in club activities as well as the culture of sport and physical activity, are unavoidable.
Money and global markets have a larger influence on the development of our sport culture than it used to. The production costs of success are increasing, which means that additional investments are a necessity. Money has changed sport and athleticism from play to work and a profession. In the business world, the most important thing is to make profit and therefore as these principles have become a part of sport governance, winning has become increasingly important. (Heinilä 2010, 114-120.) In Finland these effects can be seen mostly in elite level sport. Elite level sport has, as a result of media and marketing, been transformed into more business-like operations. Elite level sport has at a national level also divorced itself from voluntary civil physical activity training.
(Itkonen 2002, 46.) The changes effecting elite level sport and the influence of money and business-like operations have on it, does effect voluntary and grass-root sport. As voluntary sport clubs organize most sporting activities, they have to be in constant communication with the organizations responsible for elite level sport, in order to know what is required to develop athletes and teams for the elite level. One of the effects of professionalization of elite level sport is the differentiation and specialization of voluntary sport clubs. The multiplication of different sports has caused a shortage in both physical and financial resources available for clubs (Heinilä 2010, 201).
A distinctive quality of Finnish sport culture is the availability of a very large variety of sports and physical activities. Finnish sport and physical activity organizations being based on civic activity has led to a wide variety of sports being played and practiced as opposed to sport being guided by politics and politicians (Itkonen 2012, 12; Koski 2012, 264). Where previously a lot of clubs provided a variety of different sport services, specialization has become more common and now non-specialized clubs have become a rarity. This presents new challenges to specialized clubs. According to Heinilä (2010, 200) non-specialized clubs are able to secure resources for the future better than specialized clubs. Different sports are also now drifting further away from
each other (ideologically). Different sports have their own culture and norms, which guide their activities (Itkonen 2012, 12; Heinilä 2010, 198). These differences can sometimes create challenges when sport clubs representing different sports try to co- operate and create unique circumstances to consider when studying a particular phenomenon occurring in Finnish sport. This can also create challenges for coaches seeking to become professionals. A coach has to specialize in one sport, which in turn results in fewer job opportunities.
Finnish women have been very involved in sport culture and its development from the beginning of organized sport in Finland. The first national sport organizations, which was created was the Finnish Women’s Gymnastics Federation. The structure and culture of sport is still considered to be one of the hindering factors for a more diverse sport culture. The operational plans of sport clubs tend to favour men and boys over women and girls (Heinilä 1977, 15). Women’s presence in club administration has remained almost the same throughout the years and is still low (Koski 2012, 266). Sport and physical activity culture is still dominated by male values and a manly structure.
Women still have to conform to male values and adjust to the culture in order to be successful.
Sport was and still is to some extent in the hands of men. Although men only possess a slight majority in the positions within sport organizations, the decision making process and planning is still firmly in the hands of men as they occupy most of the positions that are placed higher up in the hierarchy (Koski 2012; Aalto-Nevalainen 2009).
Volunteering in sport and sport clubs still tends to be male dominated and masculine activity. The Finnish sport cultures of different sports have started mainly as hobbies for men and boys. The competitive nature of sport has been created for men. Sport and physical activity has been formed from a male standpoint. Organizational culture therefore favours men over women (Itkonen 2012, 11 & 17; Vehviläinen & Itkonen 2009, 12-13 & 144-152). Male hegemony is also present in sport coaching. Although there have been no official inquiries into how many coaches, male or female, there are in Finland, the reality is that the majority of coaches are men (Blomqvist & Hämäläinen 2015, 4).
The position of women’s sport and women in sport is strongly related to women’s position within society and the changes occurring within it. Just as in many other cultures in the world, the role of women in sport culture has been very marginalized, even though Finland is considered to be one of the leading countries in the world for gender equality. The development in the equality between sexes will continue also in sport and physical activity and this will lead to sport organizations taking women’s and girls’ sport more seriously. Women have become more active within sport every time that they have been able to improve their social status and societal rights. The positive developments achieved in equality between men and women have created more opportunities within sport for women. (Itkonen 2012, 11 & 17; Vehviläinen & Itkonen 2009, 12-13 & 144-152; Koski 1995.)
Equality between genders is today often a starting point and value base for development, where sport and physical activity was previously a very male dominated area. The renewal of the traditional values, which guide decisions, is necessary in order to develop our countries sport and physical activity culture in a sustainable way.
(Heinilä 2010, 171.) The position of women’s sport will improve if it gets better visibility in the media (Koski 1995). The more traditional values and attitudes, which are more masculine, are still rooted very deeply into Finnish sport organization culture.
It has been assumed in the past that equality, including equal opportunity for both genders is simply going to be achieved by the active participation of women and men in all forms of working life. It has however, been argued that in Europe the development of equality in sport organizations has almost come to a stop since 2006 (Tolvanen &
Ketola, 2014). Whether equality has really been achieved and whether there is equal opportunity for both genders in all aspects of sport is debatable. The International Working Group for Women and Sport in their conference in Helsinki in June 2014 updated their declaration, which aims to develop sport culture so that it enables the full involvement of women (International Working Group for Women and Sport 2014). The changes occurring in Finnish sport culture can create both challenges and opportunities for female coaches. The increasing numbers of hired staff can create more professional coaching opportunities but at the same time more challenges for women due to Finnish sport culture still being very masculine, especially within decision-making bodies. The development of sport culture and the values and attitudes that guide sport organizations is not over, especially when it comes to the involvement of women. Female coaches
will be able to gain standing through more media attention and the general development equality within Finnish society.
3 METHODS
To be able to answer the research questions, it is important to decide on the research design to be used. This chapter begins with a description of the phenomenological research approach, which is then followed by a description of the interview data collection method, description of the interview procedure and description of the interviewees. Descriptions of the data analysis methods used and descriptions of how they have been applied in my study in practise then follow this. This is then finally followed by descriptions of the issues concerning reliability and validity of my study.
Theoretical issues are presented first and are then followed by how they have been addressed in my research including the justifications behind my methodological choices.
3.1 The phenomenological research approach
A phenomenological approach was chosen as the main research approach.
Phenomenology is the study of structures of perception experienced by a single person (Smith 2013). The purpose of a phenomenological study is to increase our understanding of the phenomenon of a human experience (Laine 2015, 52). The purpose of this study is to describe the career paths of Finnish female coaches. This is why a phenomenological approach was chosen for this research. This method will help provide an in depth description of the coaches’ career paths and focus on their experiences rather than their opinions on how to succeed as a coach. A phenomenological approach aims at seeing the world the way that the subjects see it (Hirsjärvi & Hurme 1980, 15). It emphasises individuals’ experiences. It does not aim to generalize but to understand a particular groups world of meanings. (Laine 2015, 32.) For this study, the interviewees’ perceptions and experiences are the most potent information, which can help describe Finnish female coaches’ careers.
A commonality for phenomenologists is the thought that individuals are shaped in correlation with the world, in which they live, and that they also partake in shaping that world. Humans are cultural-beings. Experiences and their meanings are shared within that culture. (Laine 2015, 30-32.) The coaches interviewed for this research also
influence and have influenced their position as Finnish female coaches in the world of sport, which is why it is important to look at their perceptions about their experiences. If the position of female coaches as well as the numbers of female coaches is to be improved, it is important to gather information about the women already in the profession. People’s experiences are intentional, which also means that their experiences have meaning to them (Laine 2015, 31). Looking at these meanings can help provide better insight into what makes the coaching profession attractive or unattractive to women. Previous research on the topic was thoroughly looked at in order to get an understanding of the phenomenon in question. Finnish sport culture was also looked at, as it is important to know what cultural influences there might be to a female coaches’ career. A research diary was started at the beginning of the process and continued till the end of the project. The research diary was used to document my thoughts and ideas that surfaced at different times during the project. It was also used as a tool to reflect on different stages of the project, to be able to develop my interviewing technique and data analysis skills. Short interview summaries were also written in the research diary to help with the data analysis process and give an idea about preliminary results.
As the main purpose of this study is to develop a detailed description of the career paths of female coaches in Finland, by using a phenomenological approach, a qualitative research method was chosen. In studies that aim at understanding a certain phenomenon, a qualitative data analysis method is usually used (Hirsjärvi, Remes &
Sajavaara 2004, 212). A qualitative approach was chosen to research this phenomenon, as there are still very few female coaches in Finland and this subject is still very under researched. Qualitative research aims mainly at describing real life whilst quantitative research aims at finding explanations and generalizations for results (Hirsjärvi, Remes
& Sajavaara 2004, 152). The aim of the study is not to prove already existing facts but to discover and describe new facts. This is why a qualitative approach is better suited to research the phenomenon in question.
3.2 Interview methodology and procedure
Interviews are the most commonly used data collection method in qualitative research.
An interview is a conversation that has a pre-determined purpose. Just like during a
conversation, both parties influence one another. An interview is however, different from a conversation in a significant way, as it has a pre-determined purpose. The interview is conducted mainly according to the interviewers wishes or at least in the way that he or she leads it. An ideal interview is planned activity, the interview is initiated and steered by the interviewer, the interviewee typically requires some motivating and this is the interviewers task, the interviewer knows his/her part but the interviewee learns it during the interview and the interviewee has to be able to rely on the interviewer keeping the information being discussed confidential. (Hirsjärvi &
Hurme 1980, 39–41; Hirsjärvi & Hurme 2000, 35–42.) This ideal is very hard to achieve and very unlikely to happen even with the most skilled interviewer.
Interviewing requires training in order to be as effective as possible. I prepared for the challenging task by familiarizing with the interviewing technique in question through literature in my studies as well as conducting a practise interview in November 2015 to check questions as well as technique.
The test interview was conducted on the 28th of November 2015. The interviewee for the test interview was a Finnish female coach from an individual sport and a professional colleague of mine. I asked for feedback from the interviewee after the practise interview in order to improve interviewing technique. After the test interview I made final revisions to the interview framework (Appendix 2.). The answers from the test interview were not included as data for the study. During the study the interviewees were also asked for feedback about the interview so that the questions and technique could be improved for the following interviews.
The styles of interviews often differ. The differences between interviews are formed by the extent to which the interview is planned beforehand and to what extent the interviewer classifies the situation. (Hirsjärvi & Hurme 1980, 42.) A structured interview has standardized questions and the interview follows the exact same pattern each time whilst an unstructured interview mostly resembles a conversation, where there is very little structure to the interview and the questions are not pre-determined.
For this study the most suitable interviewing technique was semi-structured interviews or focus interviews. The focused interview is semi-structured as the themes that are going to be discussed are pre-determined but the questions and their order are not (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2004, 197). Semi-structured interviews are suitable in
situations where the topic is emotionally sensitive, when the research aims to find out things, which people are rarely aware of, when remembering things is expected to cause false answers or when a phenomenon that the interviewees are not used to discussing every day is being researched (Hirsjärvi & Hurme 1980, 49). I chose semi-structured interviews as a data collection method, in order to enable a range of answers.
The background of the coaches was likely to be different and therefore a less guided and more flexible data collection method was required to gather the data. One of the greatest advantages of interviews as a data collection method is flexibility (Hirsjärvi, Remes &
Sajavaara 2004, 193). Questions can be changed and their order can be adapted during an interview as well as for the following ones. This is why interviews were more suitable as a data collection method rather than questionnaires. Although questions can be adapted, it is important to have minimum control over the interviewees’ answers, as the study is focused on the coaches’ experiences and not my own. Conducting the data collection via interviews gave access to the ideas, thoughts and experiences of the participants in their own words rather than mine (Reinharz & Davidman 1992).
Methodological choices are often guided by what kind of information is needed, where it can be acquired from and from whom (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2004, 173). The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focused on specific themes.
Interview framework was developed based on the background research. Main themes and supporting questions were designed to guide the interview (Appendix 2). Probe questions based on the participants’ answers were asked in order to get more in-depth information and clarify answers. This method requires firstly that it is known that the interviewee has had certain experiences, secondly that the researcher has familiarized herself with the phenomenon and through this analysis been able to come to have some expectations of the consequences of the situation on the people who have experienced it, thirdly on the basis of this analysis the researcher is then able to create a structure for the interview and fourthly the interview is aimed at the interviewees subjective experiences of the situation that has been analysed in advance (Hirsjärvi & Hurme 1980, 50). As I explored the topic thoroughly in advance, developed the themes based on this exploration, and set criteria for the interviewees, it can be stated that I managed to fulfil the pre-conditions for this method.
3.2.1 Interview procedure and timeline
The recruitment of the interviewees was done in co-operation with the Finnish coaches association and WTRC. After the interview framework was revised based on the test interview, a recruitment email was sent out to contact persons in the WTRC and also through my personal coaching network in December 2015 with a description and purpose of the study (Appendix 1). The contact persons then referred potential interviewees to contact me or I was sent the contact information for potential interviewees. The criteria that the interviewees had to meet were that they had to have coached at the highest level of their sport (male or female league or athletes). Ten female coaches were contacted to participate in the study of whom six agreed to be interviewed. The interviews were scheduled individually with the interviewees and took place between the 12.01–18.03.2016.
Participation in this study was completely voluntary. After the first interview held with a coach from an individual sport, the referral method was used to recruit more participants. I asked the first interviewee to refer other coaches that fit the criteria to me.
This was done to recruit more interviewees from individual sport. Before each interview the interviewee was provided with the general themes that were going to be discussed during the interview. The interviewees were told that the following topics would be discussed during the interview: the beginning of one’s coaching career, successes and failures and the future. I also researched all of the interviewees’ backgrounds before the interviews, in order to get more in depth information.
The participants were provided with a detailed consent form (Appendix 3.), which included the description and purpose of the study, at the beginning of the interview or electronically beforehand in the cases where the interviews took place via Skype. The participants were told that they could withdraw from the study at any time and the interviews were only conducted if the participant agreed to sign the consent form. The participants were asked at the end of each interview about what level of anonymity they were comfortable with and as a result of this, my study was conducted anonymously and I will not reveal the participants name, the sport that they represent or the organization or athlete that they work for. In order to ensure this anonymity, I have altered some of the quotations presented in the following chapters of my thesis.
The interviews lasted 56-100 minutes. There was time allocated for additional questions as well as for the participants to elaborate or add anything at the end of the interview.
Four of the interviews were conducted face-to-face at various locations and two were conducted over Skype. Skype interviews were only conducted in cases where it was the most suitable for the participant. Skype interviews were conducted as video calls, in order for the interview to be as similar to the face-to-face interviews as possible. I conducted all of the interviews in Finnish. I made notes during each interview and afterwards wrote thoughts and ideas into my research diary. I began transcription after the second interview, which was conducted at the end of January 2016. The interviews were transcribed verbatim using Express Scribe Transcription Software. The recordings were stored on my personal computer and discarded after transcription was completed.
Interview transcripts were disposed of appropriately after they were no longer needed for analysis.
3.2.2 Interviewees
The interviewees that participated in this study were six Finnish female coaches who coach or have coached either male of female athletes from different sports at the highest level of their sport in Finland, as either an assistant or head coach. I decided it was important to recruit coaches from individual sport to interview as the female coaches who are involved in coaching mostly coach female dominated sports such as figure skating, equestrian sports, dancing and gymnastics. I also felt that it was important to include the experiences of coaches who coach male dominated sports as some of the most popular sports in Finland are male dominated. Many of these sports are also apart of the WTRC project. Comparing these two will also help give insight into how more women could be introduced into coaching.
The coaches who I interviewed for this study represented a variety of sports, both team and individual sport disciplines, a total of seven sport disciplines. Two of the coaches had mainly coached individual sport whilst four of the coaches mostly had experience in coaching team sport. Three of the coaches had coached more than one sport discipline during their careers. The coaches were in their late 20’s to their early 60’s at the time when the interviews took place. They had between nine to over 40 years of coaching experience. Four of the coaches had coached or were coaching full-time at the time of
the interviews and two were coaching as a hobby (they earned their living from another job). Of the four coaches that had or were coaching full-time, one had retired from full- time coaching but still coached as a hobby and two had job descriptions that included a range of tasks not related to coaching.
3.3 Data analysis
Phenomenological data analysis methods were employed to analyse the transcribed interviews. The transcribed verbatim was read through and notes were made. The themes found in the transcripts were underlined for clarity. This approach was used to identify which statements of phrases are essential when describing the experience or phenomenon of female coaches’ career paths (Roulston 2010, 149-176). Themes were also searched for and divided into groups using ATLAS.ti analysis software. The advantage of using computer programs for analysis is the process becoming more straightforward and the challenges and disadvantages associated with using computer programs is not familiarizing with the material as thoroughly as possible (Rantala 2015, 130–131). The disadvantages of using computer programs were addressed during the data analysis process, as this was not the only method of data analysis used. The software as well as other methods chosen to analyse the data were also useful in finding similarities and differences between coaches’ careers. The transcripts were read through several times to identify the most prominent themes.
The results were interpreted and themes developed. The themes identified were then divided into three different categories: descriptive factors, success factors and challenges. The findings will be presented in the following chapters of this thesis. The themes were checked using triangulation methods. The themes were revised after peer consultations. The transcriptions were read several times to develop the themes further.
The results were represented in narrative form. As the interview transcripts were in Finnish, the important quotes were translated into English. I have studied in both languages and am fluent in both of them, and thus I possessed sufficient skills to conduct the translation. The translated quotes were also sent to the participants in order to ensure validity. Member checks were performed throughout the study, which included sending the findings to the participants before publication.
3.4 Reliability and validity
There are a number of ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration when conducting research. Ethical research includes looking at how consent is attained from the participants, what kind of information they are given about the research and what possible risks there are to their involvement. The information given to the participants should include information about the research process and what is going to happen. The participants also need to be able to understand this information. In this context the term consent means that the participant is able to make rational and mature evaluations and that participation is completely voluntary. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2004, 26–27.) Participation in this study was completely voluntary and the interviewees were provided with a consent form, which included the purpose of the study as well as a description of the process (Appendix 3).
The reliability of research means the extent to which the measurements can be replicated if the procedure was to be repeated. The reliability of a qualitative study can be improved by describing the research procedure with as much detail as possible (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2004, 216–217.) Reliability gives justice to the multiplicity of reality (Hirsjärvi & Hurme, 142). Describing the research procedure with as much detail as possible whilst still protecting the anonymity of the coaches interviewed for the study has ensured the reliability of this study. The documents used during the data collection process have also been attached to this thesis as appendixes to ensure reliability.
Preparing enough preliminary questions and supporting questions ensures the reliability of the content. The reliability of the concept can be ensured by familiarizing with the phenomenon through looking at previous research on the subject and the concept area.
The more interviewers there are, the more likely it is that mistakes will be made.
Selecting the right people for the interviews can ensure the reliability of the participants.
The variables or themes should be formed according to the theoretical framework.
Using bad examples or ignoring information, which portrays the phenomenon negatively can also compromise the conclusions that can be made based on the research.
The researcher’s perspective based on experiences about the results and their correspondence with reality can also help ensure reliability. (Hirsjärvi & Hurme 1980, 143-144.) Although the interviewing technique used in this study was semi-structured
interviews a sufficient number of questions were still prepared in advance. These questions were based on previous research on the phenomenon in question. Only I conducted the interviews and my role during the interviews was emic in order to get more in-depth information from the participants. Member checks were performed during the interviews as well as during the data analysis process to ensure validity. I have included clarifications in square brackets [] in some of the quotations as well as editing some to ensure clarity. The final report was sent to the interviewees via E-mail and they were asked for their comments before the thesis was submitted for publishing.
This was done to ensure validity of the study.
I am a coach myself and have several years coaching experience in coaching a team sport in Finland (see chapter 1). I have also been working for national associations and have a thorough understanding of Finnish sport culture both through practical experience and my studies. Although my role during the interviews was emic, I did not share my own experiences during the interview, in order not to affect the interviewees’
answers. Being a coach benefitted me during the research project in the way that I understood some of the language and concepts that the coaches spoke about during the interviews. My own experience also allowed me to take an emic role during the interviews. However, my own background also presented me with challenges during the research process. I had to be very aware of my own subjectivity and experiences to not let them influence the interviews or the data analysis process.
4 FINNISH FEMALE COACHES’ CAREERS
The definition of a professional career is in a state of flux, which can be seen in the differences between definitions. Careers are very individual and not all employees have the same goals regarding career advancement as well as external goals. Different definitions can lead to contradictory interpretations, which can be harmful for scholars as well as organizations (Koivunen, Lämsä & Heikkinen 2012, 27). This is why the different definitions need to be examined further. This chapter concentrates on describing the different phases of a Finnish female coach’s career as well as defining what is meant by a career in both the sport context as well as in a business setting and how these two compare. This chapter begins with defining what is meant by a traditional and a modern career, which is followed by descriptions of the different phases coaches go through during their careers. This comprises of descriptions of what typically characterizes the beginning of a coach's career, hobby coaching phase and the professional coaching phase, how coaches become qualified for the coaching profession, what constitutes success during the “career rat race” and who determines success as well as what kind of challenges coaches are faced with. In addition, descriptions of the support network that is required for a successful career in the very demanding coaching profession as well as the challenges that traditional family roles place on a Finnish female coach follow this. This is then finally followed by descriptions of the expectations the coaches have for their careers in the future and how they envision the potential end of their careers.
4.1 Definitions of a career
When looking at the characteristics of a female coaches’ career and what influences it, it is important to examine what is meant by a career in the traditional sense. When scholars first began researching professional careers they were linear, unchanging and took place within one organization. The organizations themselves had a lot more influence in the development of careers, advancing within the organization's hierarchy was the goal, mobility was limited and one’s position and level within the organization as well as salary defined success. (Harrington & Hall 2007, 9–11.) In practise this means that an individual has moved from one position to the next, advancing upward in
the organization's hierarchy. The definition of a traditional career has been more common and shared as its definition is similar regardless of the source. Koivunen, Lämsä and Heikkinen (2012, 11) also describe the traditional career as a linear, unbroken chain of positions within one or two organizations. Commitment to a certain organization and that organization's definition of a career has also been an important part of a traditional career. Changing employers several times during one's career was frowned upon and made the individuals that changed organizations unreliable in the eyes of other employers. (Harrington & Hall 2007, 12.) Commitment to one's career has required full commitment to the organization and its goals. The wants and needs of an individual within the organization had very little meaning. Advancing within the organization was only possible if it enabled the organization to achieve its goals. Work and private life was also more easily separated because of fixed working hours and the predictable nature of work (Harrington & Hall 2007, 97).
The definition of a career has changed but some scholars still argue that the traditional definition of a career is still applicable in positions and fields of work that require less training (Harrington & Hall 2007, 12). Others question the existence of a traditional career completely and argue that a career today means all work experience and not only work experience that requires a high level of education (Koivunen, Lämsä, Heikkinen 2012, 11). However, the qualities that characterise work differ a lot between industries and countries, which is why it is impossible to definitely say whether or not the traditional definition of a career is or is not applicable when describing certain fields of work. The changes in the definition of career as a concept, reflects upon the changes occurring in society, such as economic uncertainty and the changes in the division of work in family-life. Whether it be voluntary or forced, losing one’s job and changing jobs has become more common in today’s society. (Harrington & Hall 2007, 63;
Koivunen, Lämsä & Heikkinen 2012, 28.)
Work has become dynamic rather than static (More, Gunz & Hall 2007, 31). Careers clearly contain a lot more movement than they used to. As work has become more diverse and changing, the existence of a career has even been questioned (Harrington &
Hall 2007, 9). When looking at the definition of a traditional career, this statement seems accurate. The re-definition of the concept reflects the changes that have occurred
in working life, which is why it is important to consider whether or not careers exist anymore or should we consider careers to just be a chain of job positions.
Today’s definition of a career changes a lot, which shows the diverse nature of work today. Cohen (2014, 1) defines a career as being, at its core, movement within a certain period of time, especially for women. According to Harrington and Hall (2007, 11) a career today is the responsibility of the individual, freedom and growth are the main goals, the career contains a lot more movement and work satisfaction has a greater role.
The prevalent definitions emphasise movement and the diversity of a career much more than the traditional definition. Current definitions are freer in nature and include things that can be interpreted in different ways. Individuality and the influence of subjectivity on the definition of career success are emphasised. Compatibility between the individual and career is also emphasised in prevalent definitions (More, Gunz & Hall 2007, 31). This kind of modern career has also created a lot of pressure for the individual due to its unpredictability, spallation and diversity. Having several employers, either simultaneously or at some point during one's career, have become more common due to the need to secure one's income. (Koivunen, Lämsä & Heikkinen 2012, 6.) Careers have become the projects of individuals, which involve reform, skill development and diverse expertise. Managing one's career is increasingly important and knowing how to sell one's skills and assets to potential employers is key. (Koivunen, Lämsä & Heikkinen 2012, 6.) We live in a world that changes at an increasingly fast pace and since the development of technology, work and careers are increasingly the responsibility of the individual. On the other hand, work has also become more flexible (Harrington & Hall 2007, 98). Depending on the employer, an individual can decide when and where she is going to work. This has both made it possible and given new meaning to the holistic nature of life. The Finnish female coaches career can be said to have characteristics of both a traditional and modern career.
4.2 The accidental beginning
A career in sport coaching does not seem to usually be an intentional one. For all of the coaches that participated in this study it can be said that it was an accidental one and began from their own interest in the sport that they practiced. When describing the beginning of their coaching careers, the coaches said that they had not actively pursued
a career in coaching or thought a career in coaching had been their calling. As one of the coaches expressed it:
“I wouldn't say that I have ever had any special calling, like I would have felt that I always knew I was going to be a coach. It was the sum of many things that I eventually chose coaching. When I quit doing sport, as I had been involved in instructing and coaching little kids, then I of course continued it. Then I chose to study sport, and somehow in connection with that, when I applied for a place in a university of applied sciences [degree in sport instructing] and got in, then maybe it was sort of a habit that as a student you would work a little.” (Coach 5)
“En mä sanoisi, että mulla enää ikinä olisi ollut jotain semmoista erityistä kutsumusta. En ole tuntenut, että mä aina tiesin, että musta tulee valmentaja. Sitten ehkä oli monen asian summa, että mä loppuviimein valmennustoiminnan valitsin.
Kun lopetin urheilun, niin sitten automaattisesti kun olin sitä ohjaustoimintaa tehnyt ja pienten valmennusta, niin sitä kyllä jatkoin. Sitten valitsin vähän liikunnallista opiskelualaa ja sitten jotenkin siinä yhteydessä, kun hain ammattikorkeakouluun [liikunnanohjaaja koulutukseen], ja pääsin sinne, niin sitten samalla oli ehkä tapana että me opiskelijat tehtiin vähän töitä.” (Coach 5.)
None of the coaches had decided that they were going to be coaches or actively pursued it. All of the coaches had started coaching before they ended their competitive athletic careers. The team sport coaches also had a break from coaching between the early coaching experiences that took place when the coach was still actively competing as an athlete and the professional phase of their careers. The coaches described this early experience as important but many of them expressed that they felt that it was not the real beginning of their coaching career.
“I didn’t purposefully decide that I am going to be a coach but maybe, when I’m thinking about it now, a bystander would have noticed that it was going to be that way…I never thought that I would be a coach or that I even want to be a coach…You continued [to coach] and you developed an interest to even do it as a profession… I have lived an athlete’s life from a young age and there hasn’t been any other [kind of life] at all” (Coach 1.)
“En sillä tavalla mitenkään määrätietoisesti ollut päättänyt, että minusta tulee valmentaja, mutta ehkä näin jälkikäteen ajatellen, varmaan joku sivustakatsoja olisi sen huomannut, että siinä tulee sillä tavalla käymään. En ollut koskaan sitä ajatellut sillä tavalla, että minusta tulee valmentaja tai, että en edes niin, että mä haluan valmentajaksi. Sä jatkoit [valmentamista], ja sinulle heräsi se mielenkiinto tehdä sitä jopa ammattina…Olen elänyt sitä urheilijan elämää sieltä pienestä saakka, että ei ole muunlaista [elämää] ollutkaan.” (Coach 1.)
The participant’s coaching careers evolved from their athletic careers. Being so immersed in their sport from a young age and the sport being such a large part of their lives, made the transition into coaching very easy. The coaches’ first coaching experiences had all started from their own initiative. After the beginning of the accidental career, both interest in coaching as well as coaching education, helped fuel the coaches’ careers into coaching. One of the coaches described the influence of coaching education as follows: “Then one course led to another, then came level B, level A and then this Master Pro. In a way when you came to the opening of that tunnel then you just went for it.” “Sitten yksi koulutus tietysti poikii seuraavaan, sitten tuli taso B, taso A ja sitten tuli tää Master Pro. Tavallaan kun sä tulit siihen putken päähän niin sitten niitä mentiin.” (Coach 1.) Taking part in coaching courses made the coaches more interested in the profession and fuelled their hunger to learn more about it. These first experiences of coaching, and sport related education are what started the coaches’
accidental careers in sport coaching.
